Column level gauge



J. w. GRAY 2,@3L533 COLUMN LEVEL GAUGE Filed April 8, 1953 Feb. E& 393%.

INVENTOR BY 2% Momma Patented Feb. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLUMN LEVEL GAUGE James W. Gray, New York, N. Y.

Application April 8, 1933, Serial No. 665,095

7 Claims. (Cl. 7354) This invention relates to the gauging of liquids at l2, and the upper extension I I is left uninsuin the bottoms of fractionating columns and the lated from the middle connection I to the top conlike. nection 5.

Such liquids, usually of a tarry viscous nature Also the sump l3, which is shown provided in introduce peculiar diiiiculties in gauging, particuthe intermediate portion of the gauge column 9, is 5 larly if the oils be of a coking tendency. These p ly included in such insulation, so as to difiiculties have been such as to render gauges receive heat from the main part of the column.

heretofore employed inaccurate and actually un- The gauging instrument may be a differential trustworthy, leading to dangerous conditions in gauge such as indicated generally at M, con 10 still operations. nected by pressure lines l5, it, with the lower 10 The objects of the present invention are to end of the gauge column and with the sump reovercome the difiiculties mentioned and to provide spectively. in a simple practical form, a gauge structure which Other forms of gauges, either recording, or nonwill be accurate and reliable. recording may be employed and the invention, in

The novel features of construction, combinafact, makes it possible to even use tri-oocks or a 5 tions and relations of parts by which the foregauge glass, connected in at desired points on the going and other desirable objects are attained are gauge column, since the oil maintained in the colset forth in the following specification and broadumn as above described is kept relatively light 1y covered in the claims. and fluid.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of In Fig. 1, there is shown a gauge glass at I], 20 the specification illustrates a number of the vadirect connected at l8, 19, with that section of the rious possible embodiments of the invention and it gauge column between the lower connection and is to be understood that the structure may be furthe sump. These side connections with the colther modified and changed all within the true umn are preferred, but it is possible that the gauge sp and b d p of the invention glass be located directly in the line of flow, since 25 Fig. 1 is a broken part sectional View illustratonly a circulating distilled oil comes in contact ing a f of t invention as pp to a fraewith the glass, keeping it clean and easy to read.

tionating column or the like. For these same reasons, it will be obvious that Fig. 2 is a similar View illustrating a modificatri-cocks may be connected in on the gauge coltion for exte g th range of the gaugeumn as the oil in this column is a clean distillate, 3

One O t e distinguishing features of the which will prevent such cocks from choking from vention is the provision of an additional or extar or coke. tra connection 5, with the top or upper portion of To extend the location of the level range for the still 6, above the usual top and bottom cona given differential meter, the construction may nections I, 8, for the gauge column 9, and openbe modified as indicated in Fig. 2, that is, by pro- 35 ing into the top of that column as indicated at It. viding an additional sump or sumps I3 between This additional top connection enables a cirthe bottom and middle, or intermediate gauge culation of vapor between the middle and the top column connections 8, l, with an overflow connecconnection, that is, from point 5 through the extion 26, from the upper into the lower, which tension H, of the gauging column back into the latter, as in the first instance, has an overflow 40 still at I, which by cooling causes a certain amount connection 2|, to the bottom connection. Maniof condensation and which condensate dropping folding connections 22, between the sumps with back in the connection I I, joins the standing colupper and lower valves 23, 24, enable the readumn of the gauge and again re-enters the tower at ing to be taken either in the lower or upper the bottom connection 8. range. 5

By this induced circulation, the bottom part of As shown in Fig. 2, the upper valve 23 is opened the gauge column is made to contain a relatively and the lower valve 24, is closed, so that the readfluid oil, which on cooling does not tend to high ing on the meter is taken in the level range beviscosity and due to the continual addition of such tween the upper and lower sump.

condensate, this oil flows through the bottom con- If the level in the column is below the lower 50 nection back into the tower, flushing back the p, then Va v 3 is Closed and valve 24 is heavy tarry bottoms and preventing them from p The spacings y be su that the entering the gauge column. readings from one sump to the next will overlap.

Preferably, the gauge column is insulated from The third connection between the tower and the middle to the bottom connection as indicated the top of the ga o u y Creating a 55 culation of vapor, forming condensate and delivering this condensate into the gauge column has the effect of keeping the gauge column liquid fresh and in non-viscous liquid condition, providing therefore accurate and reliable gauge readings. The vapors in the sump or sumps are automatically vented back to the tower, obviating any need for a special vapor vent and this construction avoids the filling up of the gauge column with fixed gases. The condensate falling down the gauge column is automatically trapped and to an extent sufficient to always provide a full level within the sump.

By maintaining a degree of circulation in the gauge column, there is no stagnation and hence no need for purging to clear the tarred lines and futhermore, the gauging action is steady, continuous and reliable.

In all forms of the invention, clean and fresh oil is automatically and continuously supplied for gauging purposes. In the external type of gauge column shown in Figs. 1 and 2, convenient checking of the gauge operation is made possible by providing a valve in the lower connection 8, as indicated at 29, which when closed will show that the gauge fluid is in proper circulation by the sump l3 filling up and bringing the meter back to zero reading. Then when this test valve 29 is opened, the sump should clear itself by the excess liquid dropping back through the lower end of the gauge column 9 and bottom connection 8 into the tower and bring the meter back to the first reading, providing a definite check that the gauge is in proper operating condition. Also, if desired, valves such as indicated at 30, 3|, may be provided in the top and intermediate connections 5 and 1, to regulate the condensate feeding into the gauge column or to temporarily shut off the circulation for test purposes.

Other changes and modifications within the true intent of theinvention may be made, as will be apparent from the broad scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tower level indicator, comprising in combination with a tower a gauge column having top, bottom and intermediate tower connections, a level gauging instrument, said gauge column including sumps in the intermediate portion of the same and selectively usable connections from said sumps to said gauge instrument.

2. A tower level indicator, comprising in combination with a tower a gauge column having top, bottom and intermediate tower connections, a level gauging instrument, said gauge column including selectively usable sumps one above the other for extending the level reading range and valved connections from said different sumps to said instrument.

3. In combination with a fractionating tower, a liquid level indicating instrument therefor, a gauge column having connections with said indicating instrument and having top and intermediate connections with the vapor space of the tower and a bottom connection draining back into the liquid space in the bottom of the tower, and means for closing ofi said bottom connection for stopping flow from the lower end of the gauge column back into the tower and for observing and checking circulation as between the tower and gauge column through said top and intermediate connections.

4. In combination with a fractionating tower, at liquid level indicating instrument therefor, a gauge column having connections with said indicating instrument and having top and intermediate connections with the vapor space of the tower and a bottom connection draining back into the liquid space in the bottom of the tower, means for closing of! said bottom connection for stopping fiow from the lower end of the gauge column back into the tower and for observing and checking circulation as between the tower and gauge column through said top and intermediate connections and means for controlling said top and intermediate connections independently of the bottom connection for regulating the degree of circulation as between the tower and the gauge column.

5. In combination with a fractionating tower, a gauge column having top and intermediate connections open to the vapor space of the tower and a bottom connection draining back into the liquid space in the bottom of said tower, en-

6. In combination with a fractionating tower, A

a gauge column having top, bottom and intermediate connections open to said tower, enabling vapor circulation from the tower through said intermediate and top connections of the gauge column and said bottom connection of the column being arranged to drain liquid from the gauge column back into the tower, a sump in an intermediate portion of the gauge column between the intermediate and bottom connections of the column with the tower, a liquid level indicating instrument having a connection with said sump and a connection with the column below the sump.

7. In a tower level indicator, the combination with a tower, of a gauge column having top, r

bottom and intermediate connections with said tower, sumps interposed one above the other in the gauge column between said intermediate and bottom tower connections, a level indicating instrument and means for interchangeably con- 5 necting said instrument with the different sumps to change the range of said indicating instrument.

JAMES W. GRAY. 

